Konoha Summers
by MikoxKenji
Summary: With summer break finally upon them, Ino and Sakura have declared war on each other to decide who is best suited for the already taken Sasuke.
1. Predicament

Hey guys! First story, hope everyone likes it. I've had this written for a while and thought I'd post it here. Please review, and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: Predicament

Sasuke glanced over at the girl walking next to him, oblivious to all around her and prattling and gesticulating loudly, and found himself wondering for the millionth time how he had come to be in such a predicament. All he knew was that he had been quite happily chatting just that afternoon on his recently acquired computer to his American girlfriend, Madison, when two annoying, yet overly friendly female ninjas barged into his room, large false smiles plastered to their faces. One had quickly snatched up his laptop, almost unplugging it in the process, and threatened to smash it like a bug if he refused to accompany them on a 'date', which he'd grudgingly agreed to after excessive, failed bargaining and long contemplation. He shuddered to even think about the strength he knew the two of them, especially Sakura, but Ino as well had; his laptop simply had no chance of survival whatsoever after they got a hold of it.

He had to say, though, that he was always rather baffled by the determination clear in their eyes, and they never seemed anything less than exuberant in his presence. They were probably having another competition over something as usual, he thought. He could never understand why they spent so much time together when they resented each other as they did. Little did he know, he was right on target. They had indeed held yet another argument about who was better suited to be Sasuke's girlfriend (completely ignorant to the fact that he already had one), which resulted in a competition to prove who was superior while on a date. After spending a large part of their day trying (and failing) to bribe Shikamaru, the only brain in the small, prosperous town of Konoha, to hack into Sasuke's computer to threaten to tell something embarrassing about him to Madison (they did know about her, she just never happened to cross their minds until then) or something, they finally abandoned the clever (or so they thought) idea and ended up simply threatening to destroy the computer which they knew Sasuke had worked very hard to get and was extremely proud of.

And so, here they were; Sakura, Sasuke, and Ino, walking home from the ramen place after many tiring (mostly for Sasuke) hours spent by Sakura and Ino trying to win over the exhausted ninja who'd spent all morning training. Sakura kept quiet now, knowing Sasuke would not care for a girl who prattled on all the time, but one who enjoyed a meaningful silence. At the very first sight of Sasuke, Sakura had felt the blush creeping up her cheeks to settle on her face and it had stayed like that for the entire time; she could feel it even now on her carefully controlled features.

Ino, on the other hand, simply loved to gossip and could not hold herself back, even in the proximity of someone such as Sasuke. She hadn't been paying much attention and was both surprised and disappointed when he stopped in front of an apartment, causing her to run straight into his back. She paused, as did Sakura, taking in a large gulp of air. She had been talking nonstop all the way from the ramen place and had not had the time to breath. Sasuke looked distracted and frustrated; he'd never actually been on a date before and, even though he hadn't the slightest care about either person in front of him, he'd been brought up (up until his parents had been killed by his brother) to be polite and courteous, and could not think of what to say to indicate that he was glad they had given him a free supper, but that he had no desire whatsoever to be associated with them ever again. Sakura and Ino watched in awe as emotions flickered across his face as he scrambled for something to say. Finally, the two girls came back to their senses together and, also in unison, took in a deep breath of air to speak. Seeing that the other was going to talk, they both hesitated, glancing at each other, then blurted out, " So, which one of us is better?"

Surprised by the simultaneous outburst, Sasuke took a step back and seemed to be more confused than ever. Suddenly, he heard Ino's mother's voice calling her name from their house, which was very close by. Not thinking very much, Sasuke started hesitantly, "Ino, your mo_--_"

"YES! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I knew I was better!" Ino cried, a triumphant grin covering her face. Sakura's head was bent, and tears were glistening on the brim of her eyes. Apparently, Ino hadn't heard her mother and took Sasuke's words as a reply. " I knew I was better! Hah! He even said it himself, so in your FACE, Sakura! Oh, and Sasuke? I won't be available tomorrow; my sensei wanted the team to do a little extra training so I have to be at the training field. And Sunday I was planning to go to the movies with my friends, but Monday after training would be_--_"

"STOP!" Sasuke yelled angrily. "I don't care when you'll be available, because I DON'T LIKE YOU, DAMNIT! I don't like either of you! I already have a girlfriend, so GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULLS! Ino, I was going to tell you that your mother was calling you and so you should GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" And with that, he turned on his heel and stalked up to the door, swinging it open and slamming it shut after him.

Ino and Sakura looked over at each other. Ino's smug grin had been replaced by shock and disappointment, and Sakura's face held a small, hopeful smile. _At least Sasuke doesn't like Ino_, she thought. _At least I still have a chance_.

Whoever this Madison character was, she was not going to ruin Sakura and Ino's summer...they would do anything they could to get Sasuke to hate her. The clicks and whirs could be heard from afar as the plans tumbled in.


	2. Stalking

Chapter 2: Stalking

_"Okay, guys," Kakashi yelled over to the sweating and heaving team seven. "Training's over. You're free to do what you want for the rest of the day!"_

_Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke trudged over to where their sensei stood, his eyes betraying the smile that his mask hid. His exuberance was rare, and made Sakura suspicious. She glanced to the right and left, but neither Sasuke nor Naruto seemed in the least bit surprised. Maybe the three of them were all in on a big secret? She would have to watch out._

_Sasuke walked on past Kakashi to sit on a bench just outside of the training area. Sakura waited to hear what her sensei had to say about home practicing, future training times, and other things of the sort, hearing none of it. She was staring past Kakashi to the bench where Sasuke sat over to the side, not uninvitingly in the center like he usually did. That's weird, Sakura thought. She suddenly realized that Kakashi and Naruto had left to get some ramen, and she had been standing there, staring, for quite some time now. She shook her head to erase the dazed feeling that was petrifying her body, and headed off towards her house. She was about to pass Sasuke by when he patted the bench next to him, indicating that she come and sit with him. She suddenly had the feeling that she had something very important that she needed to do._

_"Um, sorry, Sasuke, I really...I have to...should go..."_

_"Oh." Sasuke's face fell. He got up and walked over to where Sakura stood mesmerized by his lithe movements...and his eyes. She was sure this was some kind of genjutsu._

"I just wanted to tell you that, well..." he blushed, the slight pink on his cheeks contrasting pleasantly with his dark hair and pale complexion. "Well, that I--"

_Ino suddenly hurtled from out of nowhere straight towards a shocked and confused Sakura, apparently trying to pummel her to death. And she would have succeeded with that if Sasuke hadn't stepped in front of the enraged ninja before Sakura was harmed._

_"SAKURA!" Ino roared._

_"Mm, thanks Sasuke," Sakura muttered to her protector, oblivious to the struggle in front of her._

"SAKURA! WAKE UP!"

Sakura's eyes flew open and she looked around, bewildered. There was no training field, no Sasuke, just a bedroom with Sakura's mother wrestling an angry Ino away from her defenseless, groggy daughter. Sakura sighed, wondering what Sasuke would have told her if Ino hadn't interfered.

"Don't just sit there sighing! We have work to do, so get out of bed!" Ino yelled, breaking Sakura's train of thought. Ino had finally calmed down enough for Sakura's panting mother to let her go.

"Now, if I leave you two alone in here, do you promise not to kill each other?" Sakura's mother asked, dusting herself off and straightening her hair. "I have laundry that needs to be done and it's scheduled to rain tomorrow..."

"Don't worry, I'll keep your daughter in line, Mrs. Haruno!" Ino assured, eying Sakura. Sakura's mother looked uncertain and wary about leaving her daughter alone with Ino, but left with her basket of laundry.

"Now. We have lots to do, Billboard Brow," Ino declared, training her intense gaze on Sakura. This was going to be a long day, Sakura thought.

***

Finally, at ten o'clock exactly, Sakura hurried out the front door and headed towards the ramen shop. After being told by Ino that she was to be at the bench outside of the ramen shop at ten o'clock sharp that morning, Sakura took a shower, fussed over her hair and clothes, and was just finishing breakfast when she happened to look at the clock and notice what time it was. She'd hastily brushed her teeth (and still had the taste of toothpaste and orange juice in her mouth) and readjusted her hair for the millionth time before heading out the door.

Coming upon the bench, Sakura glanced around, searching for Ino's face among the small morning crowd. "That damn Ino-pig," she muttered. Ino was always late for these kinds of things; Sakura could have taken her time and redone her hair a couple more times. She spotted Sasuke walking towards the ramen shop and blushed remembering her dream. She started walking over there and was about to wave at him when something grabbed the back of her shirt, dragging her swiftly behind the nearest tree and depositing her on the ground before Sasuke noticed anything. Sakura rubbed the back of her head, having hit it rather hard against the tree as she fell, and looked up into the face of Ino.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You were going to interact with him, and that would have ruined our cover," Ino replied curtly.

"Cover?" Sakura demanded, instantly suspicious. "What are you talking about, Ino-pig?"

"Well, Billboard Brow, we're going to figure out just how devoted Sasuke-kun is to this Madison person" Ino responded, shrugging.

"So, in other words, we're stalking," Sakura confirmed. Ino shrugged again, looking thoughtfully annoyed.

"I guess you could put it that way."

Sakura stood up pushing Ino away and dusting herself off.

"Well then, we'd better get going," she said, walking away, then she stopped abruptly, glancing around. She could have sworn she'd seen Sasuke in the ramen shop just moments ago. "Where'd he go?"

"Hmm... Probably not to the training field since I told him Kakashi said all the fields needed to be open for some special beginner training crap...so--"

"Wait, you lied to him?" Sakura inquired incredulously.

"Well, duh. Or else he'd spend the whole day training and we'd never get anything interesting from hi--"

"Wait, you've stalked him before?"

"Where did you think got all of the juicy details?" Ino sighed, as if this were taking up precious time otherwise spent doing something very important. "See, I'm a gossiper, and to gossip, I need information. And to stay on top of things, I need fresh information that hasn't been heard before. And how else am I supposed to get fresh information besides stalking?" She stated matter-of-factly.

"So you're a stalker."

"No, I'm popular, unlike you," Ino retorted, looking like a little kid about to stick her tongue out at Sakura.

Sakura sighed. "Let's just get going already," she suggested, walking off in a random direction.

Ino stayed where she was, contemplating where the best place to look would be. Sakura turned around, annoyed that Ino was making no move to follow her.

"He's probably at home," she decided finally, turning around in the opposite direction and heading off. Sakura hurried to catch up, but stayed slightly behind Ino because, as she just realized, she had no idea where Sasuke lived. The only time she had ever been there was last night, and she had been too busy concentrating on not freaking out about having gone on an actual date to pay any attention to where she was.

Suddenly, just as they were coming into the view of a rather shabby and peculiar-looking apartment building, Sakura was once again pulled into the shadows of a tree.

"What wa--"

"This is Sasuke's apartment, baka. We can't just walk out in plain sight of his window, or he might see us," Ino reminded Sakura.

"I know that!" Sakura informed her friend. "Now, which window is Sasuke's?"

"It's the third from the left on the second floor, right next to the fire escape," Ino replied, pointing.

Sakura looked up, spotting the window instantly. What a strange apartment building, she thought. It was very unskillfully built, with the air of a young and untalented architect most likely self-taught and not very smart. It had no sense of style, with some windows round and some rectangular, some tall and some long. The rooms, though neither Sakura nor Ino had paid very much attention the only time they had ever been inside the building, were probably badly proportioned and strangely shaped.

Ino looked over at Sakura who sat still; surprise and dismay clear in her eyes. She didn't know why, but she always thought Sasuke would be wealthy; maybe because she had assumed that as the sole heir to the Uchiha clan, he would get the right to at least what his own family had, but it looked like a hobo could get a place here. She sighed. Just another impossibility of her Sakura Uchiha fantasies. She looked over to see her friend staring at her, a strange look on her face.

"Are you okay?" Ino said, obviously more concerned about what others would think of her if she was seen in the company of this daydreamer in one of her absurd reveries than for Sakura's actual health. Sakura turned away, mumbling, but not before Ino saw her face flush scarlet.

Just then, Sakura saw a flicker in the corner of her eye and turned to see the light in Sasuke's window turn dark. Both her and Ino rushed stealthily over to the fire escape and up to Sasuke's window just as a dark figure shut the door, receding into the hallway beyond. The two ninja looked simultaneously towards the front of the building, the same feeling of unease burning inside of them.

The person they had seen leaving the apartment was not Sasuke.


	3. A Date

Chapter 3: a Date

"AAAAGH!" Sakura had finally lost it. This person simply was not coming out of the building.

She had been sitting here behind these bushes, waiting, watching, for over three hours now. She had endured the strange looks from passersby. She'd sat in this prickly bush. She'd even missed lunch and endured the rumblings of a very hungry stomach after not having eaten since that piece of chocolate cake at eleven last night because of the diet she was on, and now she was hungry.

She burst out of the bush, alarming a boy and his dog that were walking past, and stomped over to where Ino sat, supposedly watching the fire escape for the figure seen in Sasuke's apartment, but of course she wasn't doing that. She had found a sharpie on the ground and was doodling on her knee, paying no attention to the fire escape, or the enraged Sakura for that matter.

"INO! Are you even paying any attention?!" Sakura yelled down at her friend.

"Of course I was. Nobody came. Jeez," Ino replied, writing 'Ino Uchiha' on her knee with some hearts surrounding it.

"Well then, how the heck did they get out of the building?!"

"How the heck do you know they even _are_ out of the building?!" Ino demanded, standing up to face Sakura.

"How do _you_ know they're still _in_ the building?!"

"WELL, FOR ONE THEY DIDN'T COME OUT OF ANY OF THE DOORS!"

"WELL, WHAT IF THERE ARE _MORE_ DOORS?!"

"I DUNNO! MAYBE THERE ARE!!"

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO CHECK!!"

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD DO YOUR OWN DIRTY WORK!!" Ino shouted. The two girls sat there for a minute glaring at each other.

"FINE! YOU GO THAT WAY, I'LL GO THIS WAY!" They commanded simultaneously, pointing.

"FINE!" they confirmed, stomping off in their appointed directions.

After a thorough scour of the building, they decided that the person had indeed left by way of the back door leading out to a parking garage, or at the very least through the cellar door on the side opposite the fire escape. They both had their fair share of sighs, and then decided to head on over to the ramen shop so they wouldn't have to listen to Sakura's stomach any longer.

As they trudged into the shop, they spotted Neji and Tenten in a corner, laughing. They glanced at each other with raised eyebrows and headed over to the jubilant couple. When Neji noticed Sakura and Ino moving towards their table, he quickly stopped laughing and blushed slightly, making Tenten turn to where he was looking. He said something quietly to her and left hurriedly, distinctly passing as far away from Sakura and Ino as possible.

"So," Ino said, sliding into the booth where Neji sat moments before, "he finally asked you out on a date, huh?"

Tenten blushed. "No, of course not. Gai sensei promised to treat us to ramen after training, but Lee broke a couple of fingers so sensei took him to the hospital and told us to come and wait for him and Lee here. Neji just went to see if everything was alright with Lee and to tell them to hurry up."

"Yep, yep. Sure," Ino said, leaning back. "And what were you two laughing about so exuberantly?"

"Oh, just Lee's stupidity," Tenten replied casually, waving her hand as if to dismiss suspicion. Suddenly Sakura's stomach growled again.

"I think we'd better get some food in you, Sakura," Ino said, glancing at her stomach.

"Please," Sakura said.

***

After several filling bowls of ramen, along with some very satisfying gossiping, Tenten left to go find Lee (as well as Neji, although she didn't tell her companions that) and Ino and Sakura continued their interrupted searching for Sasuke.

"Well, since he's not at home, unless he went there while we were gone which he most likely would not have, and he's not at the ramen shop since we just came from there, he is probably at the training field," Ino thought aloud, swiveling around and finally stopping in the direction of the training fields and heading off. Sakura hurried to catch up and keep pace with Ino's long strides. She was a good two or three inches taller than Sakura with a lot longer legs.

"Didn't you say that you told him the training fields were off-limits today, though?"

"Yeah, but he never listens to me. I've told him that one before, and he wouldn't fall for it again," Ino replied offhandedly.

"Then...what was the use?"

"I dunno...maybe he'd turn stupid for the day. It was worth the try, though."

They turned a corner into the training fields, and there he was, training. Ino, to Sakura's surprise, kept walking, right on up to Sasuke, who stopped and turned towards Ino, a wary look on his face. What were they going to threaten this time?

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" Ino called, sauntering up to him. She stood intimately close to him, and he backed up, disgust on his face.

"What do you want this time?" he asked cautiously. He'd had enough of these two for a lifetime.

"Just wanted to ask you something, Sasuke-kun!" Ino said brightly, sidling closer. "About your apartment. Do you know if anyone else has a key to it? Besides us, I mean."

"No," Sasuke answered, obviously confused, "No one -- wait, us? What do you mean, 'us'? Why do you have a key to my apartment!?"

"How else do you think we got into your room to ask you on a date?" Ino replied casually. "Sheesh, ignorant--"

"How did you get it?" Sasuke yelled angrily.

"I was kind of wondering that, too," Sakura put in.

"It was quite easy, actually. You should have known, Sasuke-kun, that the owner would be as he is in such a cheap building." Ino said; Sasuke blushed slightly. "He has all the keys on numbered pegs hanging behind his desk. I was prepared to be persuasive, but he was out like a light, so I just took yours and made a copy." She shrugged, trying to sound innocent.

Sasuke stood, stunned for a moment. He was definitely going to have to find a new apartment. Suddenly he came to his senses and remembered why the two of them were here in the first place.

"Why did you want to know if anyone else had a key?" he asked, suspicious.

"Wait, you don't want the key back?" Ino asked, surprised.

"Yes, I do!" Sasuke replied, blushing. He held out his hand. "Give it!"

"No need to be so commanding," Ino muttered, digging in her purse. She pulled her head out, a smile on her face. "Oops, must have left it at home! You can come by and pick it up later--if you want, that is."

Sasuke shuddered. Being seen anywhere near her house made him want to throw up in revulsion. "No," he said, "I'll meet you...at the ramen place." At least that wouldn't be so bad.

"I'll come...if you buy me a bowl of ramen," Ino bartered, obviously trying make it a date.

"No! I need--"

"Oh, I guess you don't need the key then," Ino replied, sighing dramatically.

Sasuke bit his lip in thought. He really didn't want to be seen associating with this woman, and it felt especially wrong since he already had a girlfriend. But it repulsed him immensely that she had his key--even if he was going to be moving soon, it would still take him some time to find a new building and apply for an apartment--she could use the key whenever she wanted, however she wanted. He sighed, giving in.

Ino giggled. "It's set then! I'll see you at noon tomorrow!"

"At noon! But there'll be--"

Ino sighed again. "You know...we really don't have to..."

"Fine, fine. I'll be there at noon," Sasuke sighed and began to walk away, a plan forming in his head. But who could he get to accompany him? Garaa wouldn't be in Konoha until Wednesday, and Kiba... Kiba would probably just laugh at him the whole time, so that left Shikamaru. How in the world was Sasuke gonna convince Shikamaru to--

"Oh Sasuke-kun!" Ino called, causing Sasuke to lose train of thought. "I just thought you might want to know that, well, we saw someone in your apartment this afternoon. That's why we were wondering if anyone else had a key. But then again, they could have simply borrowed the owner's key..." She shrugged.

"There was...someone in my apartment? Who...Wait, why were you in my apartment?" Sasuke asked, training his intense and not-so-happy gaze on Ino and Sakura.

"Oh, we weren't in your apartment, just looking in the window. But the person didn't look like anybody we know did it, Sakura?" Ino replied, turning to her friend. She was obviously trying to steer the conversation away from why they were looking in his window, but it didn't help that Sakura started blushing.

"And why exactly were you--"

"Now that doesn't really matter does it? We were just walking past and happened to see someone in the window, that's all!" Ino assured, waving her hand as if to brush away any blame. And yet Sasuke got the feeling that they hadn't been simply walking past. But, that was the lesser matter at hand. Who had been in his apartment, and why? As he pondered, his feet carried him away from the training fields and Sakura and Ino, and on towards Shikamaru's house.

Sakura and Ino stood there staring for a moment, lost in their own separate reveries.

"We should probably follow him, huh?" Ino sighed, turning to look at Sakura.

"Yeah, probably," Sakura answered reluctantly.

"Wait a second," Ino said loudly, startling Sakura, "where's he going? He never leaves the training field till after dark, and it's only like three or something!"

"How would I know? Probably just went home to chat with his _girlfriend_," Sakura grumbled with disgust.

"Well come ON then," Ino commanded, towing Sakura after her by the arm. "He can't have gotten far, but we'd better hurry."

***

Although he wasn't exactly in the best shape after training all day, Sasuke wasn't one to waste time and hurried on to Shikamaru's house. Ignoring the front door and doorbell, as well as common courtesy, he walked around to the back of the house to find Shikamaru's mother taking clean clothes down from a clothes line hanging between the house and a nearby fence. He looked around, noting the strange look on Mrs. Nara's face as he searched for his missing friend. He didn't think she particularly liked it when he invited himself back instead of using the doorbell, no matter what Shikamaru said.

"Is Shikamaru here?" he asked, confused; he must have actually gone and _done_ something for once.

"You'd have to check inside. I dunno where that boy goes," she replied, shaking her head.

"Thanks," Sasuke muttered, heading for the door.

"Hello there, Sasuke," Shikamaru's father called from behind a large section of the newspaper. Sasuke heard the slurp of hot coffee as he passed through the kitchen towards the stairs.

"Hi. Do you know if Shikamaru's upstairs?" he asked, stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"I dunno," Shikamaru's father replied, folding up his paper and searching through the rest of the day's edition for another section. "You'll just have to go up and check. Sorry."

"S'okay," Sasuke said, heading up the stairs. He heard another slurp.

The Nara household was a small but cozy one. Completely different from the squashed apartment Sasuke owned. Mrs. Nara had a particular way of making what might have seemed like unorganized disarray into the comfortable clutter of a lived-in home. A pang of sorrow hit Sasuke at the sudden memory of his mother and her way of keeping the house as clean as she could with two rambunctious boys running every which way before... Sasuke swallowed his pain and continued up the stairs, unconsciously having stopped in his reverie. But the fire of hate still roared in his chest for the one who had taken all he cared about, who had ruined everything he'd ever wanted--

"Sasuke?"

"Shikamaru?"

"What are you doing here?" the two asked simultaneously. Shikamaru, having just stepped out of his room and right into Sasuke, was surprised to see his friend; Sasuke rarely stepped foot in anyone's house. Everyone knew it was because of the homely atmosphere generally present although no one let on that they knew and Sasuke tried his hardest not to show it.

"Well," Shikamaru said, "I believe _I_ have a legitimate reason for being here, but what about you?"

"Oh, I just needed to ask you something, but if you were doing something important..." Sasuke trailed off awkwardly.

"You know me! When am I ever doing anything important?" Shikamaru replied sarcastically, leading the way to his room. Sasuke smiled. It was nice to have Shikamaru around.


	4. Consequence

4: Consequence

_Sluuurp._ "I wonder if it's going to become a tradition that you guys come here when you're failures," Tenten speculated, taking another bite of ramen.

"Nah," Neji replied nonchalantly, taking a large bite of ramen, "Then they'd go broke." He chuckled, ignoring the angry glares coming from Ino's direction.

"We are _not_ failures," Ino demanded, slamming a fist down on the table. "Well, at least _I'm_ not. And we only came here because Sakura is unable to keep a steady diet going and we would otherwise have had to listen to the constant growling of her stomach."

Sakura blushed; she'd been about to devour a large chopstick-full of ramen, but she dropped it back into her nearly empty bowl and put down her chopsticks. "It would not," she countered unconfidently into her ramen, her face red as a tomato. Tenten laughed and Neji nearly hacked up his ramen.

"Yeah, Sakura, it would," Tenten managed through bouts of uncontrollable laughter. "I've never met anyone with a louder stomach than you!"

Neji stood up and stretched, a large grin still plastered to his face. "Well, we'd probably better be going," he said as Tenten stood up.

"Yeah...as much as I love listening about Sakura's stomach..." Tenten joked, "Sensei'll think we've been plotting against him again unless we get to the training field."

"We'll see you guys later then," Ino replied. "I've gotta stay here and wait for this pig to slow down." She sighed dramatically.

Sakura, face scarlet, insisted, "I am not a pig, you baka! And actually, I'm ready to go, too!" She grabbed Ino, ignoring the ramen and the low rumble in her stomach and stormed out of the shop. _Well, _Sakura thought, _I'll have to find something to eat at--No!! You're on a freaking diet, for god's sake!! You can't just start stuffing yourself or Ino will be right about the pig thing! But then again, that piece of cake in the fridge looked pretty--_

"And where do you think you're dragging me in such a hurry?" Ino asked, attempting to jerk her hand out of Sakura's iron grip. Sakura looked down at their interlocked hands and instantly snatched hers back. Ino rubbed her wrist tenderly. She knew Sakura was strong, but...

"Whatever," Sakura said exasperatedly. "Now where in the world could Sasuke be?"

***

"Well, thanks anyway, Shikamaru. It was nice talking, but I should probably get home..." Sasuke said gloomily, making his way to the front door with Shikamaru following.

"Yeah, sorry I won't be able to make it tomorrow," Shikamaru chuckled. "You got yourself a real dilemma there. I dunno if I'd want to come even if I could; that Ino can be a real bitch."

"Tell me about it," Sasuke replied with a shudder. " I don't know how you and Chouji put up with her."

"Yeah, who knows," Shikamaru replied ironically. Sasuke really didn't seem to know how his emotionless exterior attracted the girls like it did. _You'd think he'd be more aware of the effect he had on people_, Shikamaru thought.

Sasuke sighed. "I'll see you later then," he called over his shoulder as he walked down the front path.

"Yeah, see you," Shikamaru said as his mother yelled for him. Sasuke heard him shout something back as he went back inside. A pang of anguish and old memories rushed him, but he ignored it, picking up his pace and focusing on what he should do first when he got home.

He had just rounded a corner and was coming upon the apartment when he spotted two distinctive--and unfortunate--shapes shouting at each other next to the fire escape. Skidding to a halt, he assessed the scene before him and, although he was curious as to why they were in front of his apartment, decided that the best route was to slip around to the other side of the building and sneak in through the cellar. He set off into the trees behind the apartment building, giving a wide berth to the two girls at the front, and was watching for them to turn and not where he was going when a cat came padding up and rubbed its side against his legs. Losing his balance, he fell on the cat who screeched and streaked off into the woods causing Ino and Sakura to turn to the commotion and notice Sasuke sprawled on the ground, face reddening. "Damn cat," Ino herd him mutter as she made her way to him, the astonishment having worn off. He hefted himself up off the ground and started quickly off to the front of the building when he found himself stopped with Sakura and Ino between him and his goal. Attempting to push his way past the two, he was surprised when they stepped determinedly in his way again.

"And what'dya think you're doing out here, eavesdropping on a couple of innocent girls?" Ino asked impudently.

Sasuke blushed but retaliated boldly, "Innocent? You two are about as innocent as a toad is a mammal. And I wasn't eavesdropping."

"Then what were you doing out here in the woods; torturing poor little kitties?" she shot back, hands flying to her hips.

"No," he replied tartly, leaning back as Ino leaned forward, "I was going _home_." He pointed, and Ino and Sakura turned to look with fake expressions of surprise as if they hadn't known they were right beneath Sasuke's window. "And by the way, what are _you_ doing here?"

"Well, ya know...just, just walking past and..." Ino fumbled, floundering for a reason. Her face brightened as she found one. "Just wanted to remind you about our little date tomorrow. Don't be late! Oh, look at the time! Me and Sakura have to get going! Bye-bye!" She tapped her wrist and then grabbed hold of Sakura's arm, dragging her away with a little wave. Sasuke, yet again confused, decided not to dwell on the horrible matter ahead of him and instead made his way to his apartment.

When he'd entered the building, Ino let out a sigh of relief and went back to the fire escape. "Whew, I thought we were done for," she mumbled.

"Yeah, jeez, what do you think he was _doing_?"

"I dunno..."

"Well, it doesn't matter. We just have to make sure he doesn't catch us again." Ino started climbing as she spoke, careful not to rip her skirt on the small, rusty fire escape. Really, they needed to get it fixed or it was gonna topple.

"Now that'd we've finally succeeded in _finding_ him, what do you think he'll be doing?" Sakura asked, picking her way up after Ino.

"Probably chatting with his so-called 'girlfriend'. What was her name again?"

"Umm... Madison, I think it was?"

"Yeah, that was it. Damn that Madison bitch."

"Yeah," Sakura replied, not really paying attention. Coming up behind Ino, she peered into Sasuke's window, her emerald eyes lit with curiosity.

"Woah... what the--"


	5. Hospital Visit

Chapter 5: Hospital

"--the he--" _CRASH!_

"SHIT!" Ino whispered. Maybe pushing Sakura's head down wasn't the best idea.

Sakura, having smashed through the rusted fire escape, lay sprawled on the ground, blood pooling around her head. A moan floated up from her as the window jolted open.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TWO TO--what the hell?" Sasuke leaned out of his window and stared down at the mess below him. Ino glanced down as well and then turned to Sasuke, brain clicking as she tried to devise a suitable excuse for why they were there.

"I--we were, um--"

"Ino, go in and call 911 NOW! We've got to get her to the hospital!" Sasuke commanded, swinging out of the window smoothly. Ino didn't wait to see him jump gracefully to the ground before hopping through the window into Sasuke's apartment. _Ew, it's such a mess,_ Ino thought as she stared around the small room that made up the kitchen, dining room, and living room. _I wonder where his phone could be..._

"It's on my desk in my room," Sasuke called up through the window, the blush obvious in his voice. She wondered what that was about as she followed a short, dark hallway to a set of doors opposite each other, one open only a crack, a sliver of light showing. The other had been thrown wide, showing a very messy bedroom. Clothes, books, and ninja tools were scattered everywhere, including the top of a small, old desk with a laptop sitting on it. Ino saw the old phone resting next to it and knew she should be calling, but she was riveted to the spot by the desktop image on the laptop's screen. It was a picture of Sasuke and a foreign brunette girl. Ino could see in her mind's eye the imperfect mahogany tresses tangling slightly in the gentle breeze on a crisp autumn day, her amber eyes smiling along with her faintly grinning mouth. The girl could easily have been labeled as boring or dull, but Ino could just discern the remarkable underlying beauty Sasuke found and adored in her. They were embracing with such obvious affection that it brought a flicker of jealousy in Ino's stomach and tempted her to smash the damn thing.

"INO! If you're done calling, you could come down and give me a hand here!" Sasuke hollered, a bit more than a hint of annoyance in his tone. Ino jumped and fumbled for the phone, dialing clumsily and restarting twice until she finally got it. On the third ring the speaker answered and asked for an address, and Ino's mind went blank.

"Um...uh...it, uh..."

"Please, ma'am, if there isn't an emergency, I would like you to hang up the phone now."

"No, there is an emergency, but the address..."

"The address's 292, 8th Street, and hurry up!!" Sasuke called.

"It's 292, 8th Street," Ino repeated, and then relayed Sakura's fall.

"Thank you, we will be there as soon as possible," The speaker assured before hanging up. Ino stood there with the phone for a minute, the seriousness of the situation finally sinking in. What was going to happen to Sakura? And who would be Ino's best friend if she...she... Ino didn't want to think about that, so, with another glance at the photo on the desktop, she sprinted through the door and down to her bleeding friend.

***

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"Aaaugh," Sakura groaned groggily, scrunching her eyes up to the sudden, intense ray of light shining from the open window. She attempted to sit up, but stopped abruptly with a sharp intake of breath at the pain that shot up her arm. Noticing the bandages nearly mummifying her, she glanced around and noticed the crisp white sheets and matching walls and… well, just about everything. Inspecting her bandages, she concluded that she had a broken arm, a broken ankle, a couple of broken ribs, and probably a minor concussion. She moaned, realizing she would not be able to train or go on missions with the team--and Sasuke--for a long time. It didn't help the ache in her chest that he would never, she knew, come visit her. And Ino would probably say she was to busy with the flower shop or training to visit when she was really taking the chance to flirt with Sasuke while Sakura could do nothing but watch in horror. She grimaced as she realized that that annoying, immature, _idiot_ Naruto was probably the only person she had any chance of seeing besides the nurses and doctors for her entire stay. As she brought her good arm up to sweep away the hair that had fallen in her eyes, she accidentally rubbed against some stitches on her forehead and shuddered.

Letting out a long, resigned sigh, she settled back into the stiff pillows to wallow in her misery until those pesky nurses came. About to let the thick, drowsing cover of sleep envelope her, she was annoyed when she heard footsteps and hushed voices coming down the hall to settle outside of her closed door. She watched as the doorknob turned, letting the sound of a nurse's concerned mutter float through the crack and settle in the room, quieting it.

"--probably be sleeping, but--oh!" A short, wrinkled nurse in purple scrubs holding a clipboard was peeking around the door followed by--much to Sakura's surprise--a large group of ninjas. Sakura noticed Sasuke among them and reddened slightly, intensely aware of the ugly stitches on her already unusually large forehead. Also there were Naruto, Lee, Hinata, Ino, and Kiba (not without Akamaru), with Shikamaru, Chouji and Shino at the back looking bored. They all glanced around in disgust at the stark white everything; no one liked hospital visits, she could tell. The nurse hurried over to Sakura's bed, pulling the fallen sheet back up, pushing her pillow in a bit more, patting her arm (Sakura winced at that), and all the while probing her with concerned questions. She was quite old, gray tinting her mouse brown hair, and her voice was high and simply annoying. "Are you alright dear? You didn't need me for anything, did you? Are you in pain? Do you want me to get some medication for that? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you need anything at all?"

"No, I'm fine," Sakura answered in a monotone that somehow rang with irritation.

"Are you sure? Well, if you insist…" The nurse forfeited uncertainly, patting Sakura's arm again. Sakura cringed noticeably, and that made the nurse spout out even more questions. "Does something hurt? Should I call the doctor? Do you want some pain medication? Is there anything--"

"I think she'll be okay for now," Sasuke cut in, and Sakura shot him a confused yet grateful smile.

"Yes, rest would be the best thing for her at the moment…"the nurse decided distractedly. She directed a glare at Sakura's guests; Sasuke in particular, Sakura noticed; one hand on her hip and another shaking a finger in his direction. " You better not get too loud or rough with her, ya hear? She's just getting over a serious injury, and doesn't need any of that."

"Don't worry, we'll be careful," Lee assured, obviously itching to come and comfort Sakura.

"And you know how to work the button to call--"

"YES," everyone said.

" It's not like we haven't been in here before," Shikamaru muttered, arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, okay then," she let in. "But I'll be back to check on you kids in a bit." And with another uncertain glance at Sakura, she left the room. Sakura let out a deep sigh and then winced as her ribs throbbed.

The room was silent as they listened for the footsteps to fade into the distance before the group of visitors turned their attention back to Sakura. Sakura swiveled towards Sasuke, but was disappointed when he turned quickly to stare out the window, having already spoken too much. She wondered why he'd come at all.

"Are you feeling okay?" Lee asked, coming up to stand by Sakura's bed with worry on his face. Sakura whipped her head around, having forgotten about her guests in her reveries.

"I'm fine, really," She replied with a grimace.

"Like anyone cares," mumbled Shikamaru, who was staring out the window.

"That isn't very nice, even if it is true," Ino chided.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, I care," Lee assured. Sakura gave him a half-grin half-grimace, but felt that it was nice for everyone to have come.

"So… has the food good so far?" Naruto broke the uncomfortable silence that had surfaced.

"Well, I haven't actually eaten anything… I only just woke up for the first time when you came," she replied sheepishly as her stomach gave away her suddenly renewed hunger. Lee hadn't missed it.

"I can go get the nur--"

"Please don't," she interrupted, then felt sorry when Lee looked down, saddened that he hadn't been able to please her. "But if you could find some other nurse or something…"

Lee brightened at that and headed out the door.

"I'm kind of hungry too, so I'll go help," Shikamaru offered. Probably just for a reason to leave, Sakura thought, although she didn't blame him. She felt pretty stiff just sitting around as well.

"Yeah, me too," Chouji muttered, following Lee and Shikamaru.

Suddenly, there was an angry shout from the hallway followed by a crash. Then Shikamaru's voice rose above the enraged shrieks of some nurse. "Hey, weren't you guys supposed to be here a while ago? Sheesh, and they call me a lazy-ass when you two are off…" He trailed off, his voice softer and softer as his footsteps faded away. By now everyone was staring at the door, having heard everything, so they weren't surprised at all when Neji and Tenten yanked open the door, slamming it as soon as they were through. They leaned back against the door, laughing and breathing heavily before they noticed the staring crowd before them.

"Oh, hey, Sakura," Tenten said guiltily, her face not quite reaching the extreme crimson that was Neji's. "How is your, um…"

"Everything?" Sasuke supplied sarcastically, still facing the window.

"I'm fine," Sakura replied before silence conquered the room once again.

"Um…what…happened, anyway?" Naruto asked, and Sakura realized even she didn't know the answer to that. All she remembered was Sasuke's apartment and… Her cheeks flushed slightly at the memory. She got a hint, though, of what happened when she noticed out of the corner of her eye Ino's flaming face.

And it seemed everyone else got it, too.

"Ino?" Sakura asked, stretching out the two-syllable word. Ino sighed, giving in.

"Well, it wasn't exactly my fault. I mean, that fire escape was pretty old and rusty. And she was standing on the weakest point, which was just stupid. And if she hadn't been so loud, I wouldn't have had to push her--"

"But of course you had a _great_ reason for being on my fire escape," Sasuke interrupted coolly. Sakura and Ino's faces were equal shades of bright red.

"Yes, well, we were, um…" Ino floundered. _We've really had to work our way out of a lot of these situations recently, _Sakura though, then revised it: _Or more like _Ino_ has._

"We were... going to see our friend! Yeah! She lives in the apartment above yours, and..."

"And you were using the fire escape to get there _why_?" Sasuke replied smoothly.

"Well, um... she... left her keys in the apartment?"

"Why didn't _she_ get them, then?" asked Kiba, genuinely confused.

"Well, uh... she... was kinda busy and couldn't come get them at the moment, so..."

And what was this _friend's_ name?" Kiba asked, obviously trying to push them in a hole. And it worked; Ino was stuck.

"Well, I only just met her, since she just moved her from... uh... _America_. So it's some American name... You know how those are always so hard to pronounce?" she replied, waving her hand absent-mindedly.

"Uh-huh," Sasuke agreed sarcastically. "I'm sure."

"Wait," Sakura said, confused, "so I fell off a _fire escape?_ All I remember was Sasuke's window and then someone hit me--"

"That would be Ino." Sasuke supplied.

"And then I was asleep and I had the weirdest dream where Sasuke, you were..." she winced suddenly, squeezing her eyes up in pain.

"Sakura? Sakura, are you all right?"


	6. A Couple of Dates

6: A Couple of Dates

"Sakura?" Lee rushed over to the bedside, hovering over Sakura helplessly. Sakura coughed violently and winced again, her hand going quickly to her side.

"It's..." she coughed, "it's nothing... just my ribs..."

"Do you want me to get the nurse? We can get you some pain medication..." Lee said worriedly.

"Ah, she'll be alright," Ino said, inspecting her perfectly manicured nails. Lee still looked worried, but after asking again whether Sakura needed his assistance for anything, left, saying he'd promised Gai-sensei he'd be back soon. Sakura looked over to Sasuke, but he was just staring out the open window, his brow furrowed. Her heart ached at his smooth exterior, and wondered what he was thinking inside. She would have been disappointed, though. He was frustrated that that really great apartment over near the ramen shop had been taken, and was wondering the few other open ones were any good.

"Well, I'd better be going," Ino replied suddenly, glancing at the starch white clock camouflaged on the matching wall. "I've got to get back to the shop; my mom's gonna have my ass for staying so long when I was only supposed to stop in and say hi." She let out a heavy sigh as she left, ignoring Neji and Tenten, who stepped smoothly out of the doorway to let her pass.

"Yeah, we'd better get going soon too," Tenten agreed, glancing at Neji, who replied ungracefully, "Yeah, we've got, um, some stuff sensei wanted us to do." They trooped out in silence, but Sakura caught Tenten's hand as it reached for Neji's, and smiled. Just as it closed, though, the door swung right back open followed by a very out of breath nurse who, noticing Naruto and Kiba asleep on the stiff over-white chairs, exclaimed, "Wake up, wake up! And why did nobody tell me the poor lady was in pain? I told you, didn't I, that you were not to be too rough or loud with her? Didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Sasuke breathed exasperatedly, making his leave, to the dismay of Sakura. "I gotta go."

"Yes, you'd do right to go! And you, and you!" she shooed at Kiba and Naruto, who stumbled towards the door. "Finally, some peace and quiet in here!"

Sakura just let out a long sigh and waited for the torture to begin.

***

"Ya know, I know this sounds weird, but I really feel sorry for Sakura. I mean, having to put up with that annoying nurse..." Tenten said, shaking her head and trying not to smile.

"Yeah," Neji laughed, "she really is a troublesome woman! I hope Lee and Sensei don't expect us to go visit again tomorrow," he replied, chuckling. He took a bit of ramen and looked up at Tenten, his laughter suddenly gone at her tender expression.

"It's been a while since we've been able to go on a date alone," Tenten said quietly, reflecting Neji's thoughts. She hated that everyone wanted to know whether they were going out or not, especially that bitchy Ino. Her and Sakura were always in everybody's business, spreading lies and half-truths even when they knew it wasn't honest. It made her want to gag.

"Yeah," Neji answered, his head lowered and a slight pink blush creeping up his cheeks. Silence conquered as they stared at each other.

"Well," she said suddenly, breaking the unobtrusive connection and swallowing her last bite of ramen, "I'm ready to go when you are..."

"Yeah, I'm done," Neji said, standing up to stretch. "Do you... d'you wanna go to the park?"

Tenten softened at the embarrassed look on his face and smiled. "Sure," she said, picking up her jacket. He came over and put an arm around her waist, leading her to the door.

"And what do you wanna do at the park?" she whispered into his ear.

"Whatever you want," he answered back just as softly, and Tenten giggled.

They walked the small distance to the park in silence, contemplating their own separate thoughts. Tenten was snuggled up against Neji's chest, and he pulled her close against the cold wind that had risen

"I love you," Tenten whispered, twisting in Neji's arms and standing up on tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips. His arms snaked around behind her, settling in a loose but intimate hug.

"Love you too," he murmured back, his breath hot against her chilled pink cheeks as he leaned in for another kiss.

***

Sakura woke up, yet again, to the bleak whiteness that was her room for the next month. _I am _so _gonna kill Ino when I get out of here, _Sakura thought with a sigh. She waited in silence for her annoying nurse to make her appearance. She was going to have to complain about that; they have annoying nurses. And the stiff pillows and mattresses. And the sheer whiteness, too, for that matter.

With yet another sigh, she settled lower into the rocks they used for pillows, trying to find even a remotely comfortable position in which to mull over the day. _Nobody will bother coming today, _she thought. _Yesterday was just luck, and now that they know I'm not going to die, they won't even bother stopping by. They've all of course got _way_ better things to be doing--_"The date!"

She sat up quickly as she remembered the date that Ino had with Sasuke, and instantly regretted it as, with a sharp intake of breath, the stinging pain shot up her side, reminding her of her injuries.

_Damn that Ino_, she thought, wincing. Of course she would just absolutely _cherish_ not having Sakura hanging at her shoulder the entire day; not that Ino particularly cared what Sakura did anyway.

About to sink back into her hellhole with a discontented sigh, she was startled when the door burst open, followed by a yellow-clad nurse pulling a metal cart roughly through the relatively small doorway after her. _Oh dear god, not her again..._

"Rise and shine!" Sakura's designated nurse yelled cheerfully, leaving the cart of crappy hospital food and prancing over to the windows to shove them apart. A bright shaft of direct sunlight streamed through uninterrupted right into Sakura's eyes. Blinking, she anticipated the regular flurry of questions even before it started. "Now, nothing happened during the night; you didn't need any help with getting to the bathroom or any pain medication or anything, right? And you weren't hungry or thirsty or anything? No? Well, I bet you are now. Now, do you want any pain medication before you start your breakfast? And you like pancakes, right? And milk will be fine? Because I can get you some eggs or water or--"

"Yes, I'm fine with pancakes, no I don't need anything, and yes, I would rather like to eat alone" Sakura answered tonelessly, feeling rather repetitive. Her nurse on the other hand, seemed rather appalled at Sakura's answer for a moment, then hurt.

"Oh. Well, then, I guess I'll be going. I'll be back in to check on you again later, so..." she replied, trailing off as she nearly slammed the door.

Shoving away the cart the obnoxious nurse had pushed up to the side of the bed, Sakura had no intention of touching the--what looked like--moldy food on the dirty, cracked tray. She winced as her stomach growled loudly, twisting into itself painfully as if to remind Sakura that the last meal she'd consumed had been nearly twelve hours ago.

"Oh shut up," she told it. "Better get used to it." _I don't think I'll eat anything during my stay here at all, _she added in her head.

With a sigh and an adjustment of her hips in her never ending quest for comfort. This was going to be a long month.

***

Taking out her pink cell phone for the tenth time, she flipped it open expertly, glancing swiftly at the time and snapping it shut again. She strode exactly ten paces, turned acutely on her right three-inch-heel, executing the model turn precisely, and stalked ten paces back to exactly where she began. Snatching her phone from her purse yet again, she checked the time one last time before letting out a cry of frustration.

"Augh! He was supposed to be here half an hour ago!" Ino cried to no one in particular. A few wary passersby glanced at her, concerned looks on their faces, but most were locals of the fairly small village and were used to the strangeness.

Glancing around, she wondered what exactly was so important that it could keep Sasuke from her for so long. Surely he hadn't simply forgotten, she thought uneasily. The shame and humiliation if some rumor like that ever got out would be simply unbearable.

Turning around, she decided it had been long enough. "If that son-of-a-bitch isn't here in--Oh hey, Sasuke-kun!" Suddenly noticing the dark, sullen figure of her date weaving his way slowly through the crowd, she jumped up, waving in his direction. Noticing her, Sasuke turned away, face reddening.

"Oh, you don't have to look so embarrassed! It's not like it's our first date," Ino reminded him cheerfully. He winced as she calmly shouted out one of the few things he really did not want to become common knowledge.

"Let's just get this over with," he muttered, leaving her as he headed into the familiar Ichiriku Ramen.

"Oh, are you having a bad day, Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked in a high-pitched baby voice, following him inside. He ignored her, rolling his eyes and taking a seat near the back of the small shop. Just as they were settling into the cramped booth, a waitress came up to the table, taking their orders and leaving again with an extra smile for Sasuke. Ino sent daggers at her back with her eyes as the waitress headed for the kitchen, unease shooting up her spine as a twinge of recognition came over her. Sasuke sighed, not sure he was ready for another obnoxious meal with this freak. Not that he'd ever be, really.

"You better not have 'forgotten' my key at home aga--"

"What a bitch." Ino was still glaring after the waitress as she spoke, voice coated in venom, when she realized Sasuke had spoken. Whipping back, artificial smile plastered in place, she asked with innocence, "What'd you say, Sasuke-kun?"

_I didn't think she was _that _bad, better than you at least, _Sasuke remarked in his head. "I asked whether you had the key."

"Oh, of course! How could I forget something so important?" Ino asked with a giggle, digging in her little pink purse. Sasuke's wary expression turned to disgust as she pulled out the small rusty key by a pink ribbon tied in an intricate bow of twists and curls. Reaching out to snatch it from her outstretched hand, he was annoyed when she pulled it back suddenly, a playful smile on her face.

"Oh no, I don't think so! I think we'll just wait until the end so you don't go running off with it," she explained, dropping it back into her purse and setting it on the seat next to her. With a resigned sigh, Sasuke slumped back into the uncomfortable booth.

"You know, slumping isn't good for your back," Ino pointed out.

"Neither is pointless lunches with people you hate, and yet I'm forced to do this," Sasuke retorted. For a moment he thought he glimpsed something like annoyance or hatred, but then it was covered up by the mask of hurt.

"Oh, this really can't be that bad for you? There must really be something that's bothering you. Is it a girl? Tell me _all_ about it."

"Yes, it's a girl. A very obnoxious, annoying girl that's sitting right in front of me and refuses to give back something that is rightfully mine," he replied viciously.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she inhaled deeply. Her face was one of complete loathing as she talked; "Okay, if you want to make this hard, I--"

"Your food's here!" the cheerful, carefree voice of their waitress told Sasuke. She set one of the bowls gently down in front of Sasuke and, still facing him, dropped Ino's bowl in front of her, a couple of noodles sloshing over the side into her lap. Ino's angry expression turned from her reluctant date to the server. Standing up, she demanded, "Do you know how much this skirt that you just carelessly spilled on is?"

"Um, well," the waitress mumbled, somehow seeming a lot smaller than before.

"It was $80! How many of your paychecks do you think that is?"

"Um... I don't--"

"Well, you better find out, shouldn't you!" Ino yelled, stomping up to the poor girl. "Where is the manager of this crappy place anyway?"

"Um, he...he..." she stuttered, looking around as if looking for someone to help her. One of the growing amount onlookers, a waiter, went back to the kitchens to find the manager.

"Well? Is anyone going to get the damn--there you are!" Turning, Ino noticed the manager coming out of the kitchens, followed by the waiter. Pointing at the waitress, she demanded, "Fire her!"

"Um, I, but... why?

"Why?_ Why_? Because she spilled your _shit_ on my $80 skirt!! I want payment for this _now_--"

"Jeez, demanding much?" Sasuke muttered, ignoring the infuriated glare coming from Ino.

"Well, I'm terribly sorry for your skirt, and I'll make sure she's punished fairly, so--" the manager started.

"What? Just punished? I want her fired, immediately! And I am not leaving until I've been payed for--"

"Okay, I've had enough." Standing up, Sasuke dug in his pocket, amid the cautious stares of the now considerable crowd, and pulled out a couple of yen, tossing them on the table. He grabbed Ino's arm, and dragging her after him out the door, he called over his shoulder, "Don't fire the girl."

Silence overtook the room as the staff and customers stared after the strange couple. The whispers starting from the back of the room reminded the employees of their work who bustled off as the rest continued their lunch. The waitress, however, simply stood there for a moment, waiting for the beat of her heart to slow from it's preposterous pace at the sight of him as she decided what action to take next. Coming to a decision, a sinister grin slowly crept up her face and she stalked back off to the kitchens.

"Wha, why...?" Ino protested, having overcome the initial shock of Sasuke's intense anger. Sasuke was still dragging her by the arm and stopped abruptly on a nearly-deserted street corner about a block away. He turned to her, shifting so his eyes were shaded by his coal-black hair, and held out a hand.

"The key."

"What?" Ino asked, disbelieving at how horrible the date had turned out. "Wha--why did you pay? I still need the payment for my skirt! And I--"

"I've had enough of 'you'," Sasuke replied disgustedly.

"What? But... but what about..."

"The key." Ino gave him one last hurt look, but Sasuke refused to let in and kept his gaze steady. Taking up her purse reluctantly, she rummaged for a bit and finally pulled out the ribboned key, now rather crumpled and disheveled looking. She looked back up at Sasuke, but he was focused on something further than the simple key.

Reaching out to set the key in Sasuke's hand, a single drop of rain cut through the air. Ino's hand stopped and, sensing it wasn't going to move any farther, Sasuke snatched the key up and stuffed it into his pocket. Without a second glance, he turned and stalked off, leaving Ino alone in the faint grey drizzle to gaze after him.


	7. Regrets

Chapter 7: Regrets

Ino stared after Sasuke. What was this feeling in her gut? She'd never before felt like giving up, that she wasn't good enough for somebody, until now. It felt as though someone was sticking her in the side with a sharp branch, although her misery gave her the illusion of being completely alone standing there on the street corner in the rain. Every now and then a dark figure hustled past, hunched in on themselves and covered by large black umbrellas. All the bright colors that had previously occupied the bustling city had been darkened, creating the kind of depressing grayscale landscape only seen in those old-fashioned pictures.

Ino looked up into the ominously dark rain clouds, blinking as the water dripped into her eyes and flattened her previously perfect hair to her skull. She sighed and decided she'd better get out of the rain, although her new skirt and custom-made purse were already drenched and ruined. Heading closer the shop she'd been standing in front of, she looked up to the sign above the front door and almost smiled to herself. It was an ice cream parlor; how ironic that she came to a happy place so full of memories on such a heart-wrenching day.

Standing beneath the parlor's awning, Ino rummaged in her soaked purse and pulled out the little pink cell phone. She tried wiping off the water but gave up; the rest of her was so soggy it was hardly worth it. Flipping it open, she started punching in the number but stopped. Something told her that, for once, this news was not to be spread and she slowly closed the phone.

She shook her head. What was she thinking? She wasn't the type of person to let her feelings get a hold of her, she wasn't Sakura! She would not end up hiding, a pitiful loser, over a little incident. This was a simple setback, she'd had them before, but she would continue bravely on, following the pathway of love! But then…why did she feel so alone and unloved? Why did she feel as if it were all a lie, a ruse? And not just all the others, but she herself, too. It was the first time she'd felt she'd lied to herself.

With a large sigh, she decided it was time she should get home. Peering at her cell phone again, she saw that she'd been standing there in the rain for nearly 45 minutes; her parents were probably wondering where she was. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her meager sweater closer and stepped out into the rain.

***

Sakura was just enjoying a large container of pudding her mother had brought for her to snack on when she heard a crash and yelling outside the door. Of course, this was nothing new and the hospital was rarely quiet, so, taking another large bite of pudding, Sakura ignored it. No one ever came to see her except Naruto and sometimes Lee, so she wasn't particularly worried about being seen pigging out as she was, so she was very surprised when the door flew open and Ino charged in, drenched, and yelling at the nurse who quickly followed her through the door.

"Really, you must be more careful about treading that water everywhere, and you bring in such a draft you could give Miss Sakura a cold!" the nurse cried, attempting to peel Ino's ruined sweater off her shoulders. The large spoonful of pudding had been neglected and fell to the front of Sakura's shirt as she stared at the two.

"I'm fine, so just leave me alone! And it's your fault you nurses are always leaving your trays in the middle of the hallways, anyone would run into one!" Ino shouted back, snatching the sweater away.

"Well, if you'd been looking where you were going, you might've seen it sitting there-"

"What are you talking about? When you're in a hurry you can't really stop to smell the roses-"

"Oh really? And what's you're big hurry? Giving everyone in the hospital more sickness than they already have?"

"WHY YOU – I DIDN'T-"

"DIDN'T WHAT? PLAN ON-"

"SHUT UP!" Sakura yelled. Ino and the nurse stared at her, blank-faced. Sakura felt her cheeks heat up like a fire.

"Wha - Sakura?" The name brought a pang of sorrow as it reminded Ino of that afternoon, but she did her best not to show it. "Always the pig, I see. Just look at that pudding, you look like a greedy little kid! All of my teaching, examples, everything; all to waste!" She threw up her arms in defeat.

"Jeez, great friend you are," Sakura muttered under her breath. The nurse came over, rolling her eyes at Ino's drama, and proceeded to straighten out the bed, change the IV and flutter over Sakura; the ever-present concerned questions back again.

"I'm fine, really," Sakura assured her with a sigh. She was really starting to get annoyed by this, and was greatly looking forward to her release. Staring out the window, she noticed a shadow flit by, and her mind wandered to a familiar face... _No_, she told herself, _he'd never come visit me. He's probably out training or something..._

_But he came in the beginning._

_But he'll never come again, _she told that small, hopeful part of her head.

_So if he'll never come, maybe you should go to him...?_

"Sakura?" Ino asked, looking strangely at her friend who was now a bright red. The nurse was also looking at her kind of strangely. Were her inner conversations _that_ visible on her face?

"Well, I'd better get going; there're other patients to tend to..." The nurse said, and glanced at Ino. "Be careful, and don't get her too worked up."

"Yeah, yeah," Ino grumbled, crossing her arms. With another strange glance at Sakura, the nurse exited, leaving the room with an unnatural stillness. Ino and Sakura sat in silence, neither knowing how to approach the subject that was plaguing both of their minds. About to inquire about it, Sakura was surprised when Ino spoke first.

"He left." She turned away, gazing out the window with pain in her eyes. "It went horribly."

"Well, we've always known he wasn't particularly interested--"

"And how do you know that? You were always quick to assume the worst; it's not my fault you were always too afraid to go after him!"

"I..." Sakura blushed, unsure of how to respond to this truth. "I just... I didn't want it to go badly, I wanted it to be-"

"What would you know?" Ino cut her off, turning to glare at her bedridden friend. "You weren't left standing in the rain. You didn't have to watch him walk away without a second glance!"

"I know that," Sakura replied coldly, "but I also don't push myself on him like you! You're always--"

"SHUT UP!!"

"No! You're always all over him, even though you know he doesn't like it, you know he doesn't like you!"

"No, he..." Ino fumbled, swaying. "He just..."

"It's the truth and you know it! And you'd better get used to-"

"Is everything okay?" An unfamiliar nurse stuck in her head and glanced uneasily first at Ino, then Sakura. "I heard some yelling and I thought..."

"Nope, we're fine. It must have been from somewhere else," Ino lied, the familiar fake smile in place.

"Okay, then," the nurse said hesitantly, eying Ino as she closed the door.

They waited silently for the footsteps to recede down the hallway before turning to glare at each other.

"Well, I think I'll take my leave for the day," Ino said coldly, "seeing as you obviously don't want me here."

"I'm glad you've taken the hint," Sakura replied; and without a second glance, Ino walked out the door.

When it was fairly quiet again, Sakura sighed; letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Why was everything being so unfair? She was sick, shouldn't life cut her some slack at this fragile stage in her life? _Apparently not,_ she though as she heard the tone of her appointed nurse's voice outside the door.

***

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama?"

"Oh yes, come in," Lady Tsunade replied to the knock at her office door. A young girl with dark hair peered around the edge tentatively before sliding open and sidling into the room. Upon entering, she noticed many papers and letters piled atop and around the large desk with two small chairs situated in front of it. She sat hesitantly at the edge of one at the Lady's gesture.

"Now, as I understand, certain circumstances have led to your banishment from the Wind country and--"

"Can't imagine why, she looks innocent enough to me," came a low mutter from behind a stack of papers. The girl jumped as a large slug slithered less-than-gracefully out, leaving a trail of green slime behind it.

"Ugh, you're getting goo everywhere again!" Tsunade sighed, shuffling the papers away from the reptile, but finally giving up as the slime overtook the documents. "Anyway, are you going to be staying here permanantly or only for a while?"

"I-I don't know..." she girl answered weakly, looking down at her lap.

"Well, we do have one team with a temporary opening that you can train with, so we'll see how you do and go from there. Is that all you have with you?" the Hokage motioned towards the bag beside the chair, and the girl nodded. "Okay, then. Go down the hall and to the left to the housing department and they will see to an apartment for you. Your new team is number seven, with Hattake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, and Sasuke Uchiha. Got it?"

The girl nodded numbly, looking very pitiful.

"Aw, it'll be all right," Tsunade attempted, and wished there was something more she could do for the unfortunate girl. Hopefully Kakashi could do better. "Well, I--"

"Lady Tsunade, for the dam project, there were a few things I thought we should go over about the..." a young Anbu member swung open the door speaking fast, but stopped mid-sentence at the sight of the girl and blushed. "I think I'll... wait outside," he said, and stepped lightly outside.

"Well, I would love to continue chatting, but as you can see I am very busy, so good luck with your first day and welcome to Konoha." Tsunade smiled what she hoped was a warms smile, while also somewhat eager for her to leave and yet guilty for pushing her out. The girl, however, grabbed her bag and hurried to the door with her head down.

"Oh, and it was Karin, wasn't it?" the Hokage asked. Karin stopped at the door and turned, giving her superior a long, eerie stare.

"Karin Suzuragi."


End file.
